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. 2020 Aug 7;15(8):e0237255. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237255

Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by probability density functional method

Miyako Oya 1, Yosuke Taniguchi 2, Naoaki Fujimura 2, Karen Miyamoto 2, Masaru Oya 2,*
Editor: Anjani Kumar Tiwari3
PMCID: PMC7413519  PMID: 32764804

Abstract

In this study, washing tests were performed using samples prepared by contaminating fabrics with hemoglobin, and a kinetic analysis was conducted based the probability density functional method, which expresses the cleaning power using two parameters σrl (related to the cleaning mechanism) and μrl (related to the level of cleaning power). This method allows for the processing of uncertainties specific to protein washing under the assumption that the soil adhesion and detergency are in accordance with a normal distribution. A certain amount of hemoglobin solution was soaked in a cloth, dried, and steam-treated, and then used as a sample for a cleaning test. Two parameters σrl and μrl were calculated based on the detergency (%) after 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min of washing with respect to different pH and temperature levels, and different sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration and temperature levels. Based on the results, the value of σrl indicated that the hemoglobin was removed by the dissolving action. In addition, μrl increased in accordance with an increase in the pH, SDS concentration, and temperature. With respect to μrl, the relationship of ΔX + ΔY = Δ(X+Y) was observed in several cases, where ΔX represents the effect of the pH or SDS concentration, ΔY is the temperature effect, and Δ(X+Y) is the combined effect. Therefore, there may be an additive relationship between the pH and temperature effects, and the SDS concentration and temperature effects.

Introduction

In the medical field, with respect to hygiene, the cleaning of blood stains adhered to medical devices and surgical material is critical. Therefore, significant research has been conducted thereon. For example, in several studies, the effectiveness of automatic cleaning was compared with that of manual cleaning for the cleaning of medical instruments such as special cutting instruments, forceps, and endoscopes [14]. Moreover, studies were conducted on the effects of cleaning agents and disinfectants on the cleaning of medical devices and materials [57]. In several studies, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) tests were conducted, and alternative practical detergency evaluation methods were implemented [813], which highlighted the importance of monitoring [1416]. Several fundamental studies were conducted with focus on the interaction of blood proteins such as albumin and hemoglobin with surfactants [1719].

Moreover, given that the theoretical analysis of the cleaning phenomenon requires an index of dirt removal power (i.e., cleaning power), the application of the rate constant of the first-order reaction equation of chemical reaction kinetics has attracted significant research attention [2024]. Recent kinetic studies conducted on protein removal were mostly related to cleaning in the food industry. For example, there were studies that included the evaluation of the detergency of whey protein from the initial rate constant of the first-order reaction equation [25] and the determination of the cleaning power from the initial gradient of gelatin cleaning using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) [26]. In addition, discussions were presented on the detergency of proteins attached to stainless-steel balls from the initial desorption rate [27], and the effects of external electric fields on the removal of proteins by enzymes were clarified based on the evaluation of the initial rate [28]. As mentioned above, in many kinetic studies conducted on protein washing, the initial gradient in the first-order reaction approximation was used as an index. However, the majority of practical cleaning data is difficult to represent using a single first-order reaction equation.

In general, the initial slope of the time-dependent removal curve tends to be larger than the slope of the theoretical curve, and the final slope tends to be smaller than the theoretical curve. Therefore, the assumption of the cleaning process in the secondary chemical reaction [29] and the analysis method for the cleaning process as the sum of the two first-order chemical reactions [3032] were proposed. However, it is difficult to give logical meaning in relation to the cleaning mechanism with methods such as the cleaning rate being proportional to the square of the residual soil amount or dividing the soil into two types.

Analysis using a simple first-order reaction equation is difficult in that when the same dirt is used, the ease of removal varies depending on the state of the attachment sites and bonding force. A potential method for the mitigation of this variation is the use of a probability density function, which is the basis of probabilistic risk analysis, as was applied in many studies; i.e., the calculation of the probability of structural collapse [33] and the ecological risk assessment of chemicals [34].

An attempt was made to apply the probability density function to the detergency evaluation. The washing results of an oily dye stain [35], iron oxide particle dirt [36], and commercially available washing test cloth soiled with a mixed stain [37] were analyzed with respect to two parameters of the probability density functional method, the mean μrl and standard deviation σrl of the removal load distribution, assuming that the cleaning power follows a normal distribution. It was recently demonstrated that one of the two parameters (σrl) is related to the soil type [38] and the soil removal mechanism [39].

In this study, washing tests were conducted using samples prepared by the soiling of fabric substrates with hemoglobin, which is one of the main components of blood stain; and the effects of the pH, temperature, and surfactant concentration were examined based on the probability density functional method focusing on the parameter μrl. Since an alkaline solution is often used as a detergent for protein stains, it can be expected that the washing rate will change significantly depending on pH. Further, since SDS has a hemolytic action, it is expected that the concentration of SDS greatly contributes to the removability of hemoglobin stains. Moreover, since both can be regarded as a kind of chemical reaction, it can be predicted that they are affected by temperature. Therefore, to confirm the additive effect under different cleaning conditions, the summation rules were investigated between the pH and temperature effects, and between the surfactant concentration and temperature effects using the parameter μrl.

Materials and methods

Material preparation

For the preparation of the artificial soiled cloth, cotton canequim (Laundry Science Association in Japan (weave density: 22.5/10 mm warp, 24.0/10mm weft, weight: 15.2 mg/cm2) and hemoglobin (derived from bovine blood, Fujifilm Wako Chemicals) were used as protein soil models. Sodium hydroxide (Fujifilm Wako Chemicals, guaranteed grade) was used for the pH adjustment (temperature was controlled in the washing machine) of the cleaning liquid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, Fujifilm Wako Chemicals) was used as a surfactant.

Approximately 250 g of cotton canequin cloth was immersed in 2 L of 0.5% aqueous sodium carbonate solution at 60–70°C. The cloth was then rinsed using distilled water, dehydrated, air-dried, and cut it into sections with dimensions of 5 × 5 cm2. A soil solution was prepared by dissolving 2 g of hemoglobin into 100 mL of 0.1 N aqueous ammonia solution, and 400 μL was added dropwise to each section of cotton cloth. Immediately after the soiling, dry heat treatment was conducted at 150°C for 2 min in a dryer (DRD 320A, Toyo Engineering). Thereafter, the samples were steamed for 8 min in a microwave oven (HEALSIO AX-2000, Sharp) with a steam generation function, and then stored in an incubator (BITEC-300, Shimadzu) at 20°C for 24 h prior to the cleaning test.

A tergotometer (Daiei Kagaku, TM-4) was used for the cleaning test, and the cleaning conditions were as follows. Five samples of test cloth were washed using 1 L of cleaning solution at a stirring speed of 80 rpm, and the cleaning time was 5 min per unit. The detergency (D%) was calculated from the reflectance measured using a digital colorimetric color difference meter (ZE-2000, Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). The surface reflectance was measured by overlaying five sheets of soiled cloth with similar colors. The K/S value was calculated using the Kubelka–Munk equation (Eq 1), with the average value obtained by measuring the surface reflectance (Y value) at the front and back of the sample as the R value, and the cleaning rate was calculated using Eq 2:

KS=(1R)22R (1)
D(%)=KSsKSwKSsKSo (2)

where K is the light absorption coefficient, S is the light diffusion coefficient, D is the cleaning efficiency, K/SS is the K/S value of the soiled cloth, K/SW is the K/S value of the washed cloth, and K/S0 is K/S value of the raw white cloth. The K/S detergency (%) of the soiled fabric prepared using this method was found to be consistent with the detergency (%) obtained using the Lowry method after extraction using 0.1 N NaOH aqueous solution, with the exception of washing using bleaching agents [40, 41].

Methodology

In the probability density functional method [3539], the adhesion force of soil and the removal force of soil are assumed to be in accordance with a normal distribution, and the cleaning efficiency is determined based on both distributions. Further assumptions are that the adhesion force of soil is in accordance with a normal distribution with an average value of 0 and a standard deviation of 1 (Eq 3), and the cleaning power is in accordance with a normal distribution with an average value of μrl and a standard deviation of σrl (Eq 4).

fAn=0(x)=12πexp(x22) (3)
g(x)=12πσrl2exp((xμrl)22πσrl2) (4)

where n is the number of cleaning cycles, x is a random variable, and π is the circumference. To calculate the removal amount, the removal load φ(x) obtained by subtracting the cumulative function of g(x) from 1 is calculated (Eq 5):

φ(x)=1xg(t)dt (5)

The calculation of the product of φ(x) and the adhesion distribution of soil yields the amount of removed dirt; which can be expressed by Eq 6 when n = 1, and by Eq 7 when n > 1.

fR1(x)=fA0(x)×φ(x) (6)
fRn(x)=fAn1(x)×φ(x) (7)

The detergency (%) is related to changes in the area of the adhesive force distribution peak. The ratio of the soil removal amount (Rn) due to n wash cycles can be calculated by the integration of fRn(x) (Eq 8), and the removal efficiency (Dn) due to n wash cycles can expressed by Eq 9. It should be noted that the integral value of A0(x) = 1.

Rn=fRn(x)dx (8)
Dn=Dn1+(RnfA0(x)dx)×100 (9)

Moreover, the distribution of residual dirt can be obtained by subtracting the distribution of the removed parts from the distribution before cleaning. When n = 1 and n > 1, the distribution can be expressed by Eq 10 and Eq 11, respectively.

fAn(x)=f0(x)fRn(x) (10)
fAn(x)=fAn1(x)fRn1(x) (11)

Based on this theory, upon the determination of σrl and μrl, the distribution of the removed dirt and residual dirt can be predicted, and the amount of removed dirt and the detergency (%) can be calculated. In this study, the mean value (μrl) and standard deviation (σrl) of the removal force distribution were calculated by comparing the experimental detergency (%) with the calculated detergency (%) with respect to different values of μrl and σrl. The optimal values of μrl and σrl were then determined using the least squares method. It should be noted that the calculation ranges of μrl and σrl were –10.0–10.0 and 0.01–10.00, respectively.

The relationship between the μrl and σrl values and the time-dependent cleaning rate curve is shown in Fig 1. With an increase in μrl, the detergency distribution curve shifts to the right, and the detergency curve shifts upward over the entire range. Moreover, with an increase in σrl, the width of the cleaning power distribution increases, and the height decreases. In addition, the cleaning rate curve exhibits a larger gradient at the initial stages and a smaller gradient at the final stages.

Fig 1. The meaning of two parameters μrl and σrl.

Fig 1

Results and discussion

Washing efficiency with respect to variations in the pH and temperature

The time-dependent curves of the detergency obtained by varying the pH in steps of 6, 9, 10, and 11 at cleaning temperatures of 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C, respectively, are shown in Fig 2.Since it was expected that the cleaning efficiency would be low when the pH was low at low temperature and the cleaning effect due to the temperature and pH increase would be difficult to appear, the minimum temperature was set to 30°C. Under all the temperature conditions, the cleaning efficiency continuously increased in accordance with an increase in the cleaning time, and the detergency was found to increase in accordance with an increase in the temperature and pH.

Fig 2. Time dependent detergency curves of hemoglobin soil obtained with respect to various temperature and pH levels (soiled fabrics were washed, and the pH was controlled using NaOH).

Fig 2

Based on the analysis of the washing test results with respect to the probability density function method, σrl in the range of 0.39–0.70 was obtained (Table 1). Moreover, a direct relationship was found between σrl and the cleaning mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism varied in accordance with an increase in σrl in the following order: the detachment of the solid particle soil (σrl: 0.01–0.6), the dissolution of water-soluble soil (limited to substances that have a chemical binding force with fiber) (σrl: 0.3–1.4), the removal by solubilization of oily soil with aqueous surfactant solution (σrl: 1.0–2.0), the emulsification of oily soil with aqueous surfactant solution, and the removal by oily substance dispersion (σrl: 3.0-) (Fig 3) [39]. Given that the experimental value of σrl was in the range of dissolution of the water-soluble soil, the hemoglobin was assumed to be removed by dissolution.

Table 1. Calculated σrl and μrl obtained from cleaning test of hemoglobin-soiled cloth with respect to various temperature and pH levels.

30°C 40°C 50°C 60°C
pH σrl μrl σrl μrl σrl μrl σrl μrl
6.0 0.44 -1.12 0.49 -0.94 0.44 -0.58 0.39 -0.28
9.0 0.50 -1.14 0.58 -0.64 0.47 -0.29 0.51 -0.12
10.0 0.66 -0.98 0.59 -0.43 0.49 -0.18 0.41 +0.23
11.0 0.70 -0.75 0.65 -0.21 0.53 +0.07 0.53 +0.40

Fig 3. Relationship between the soil removal mechanism and values of σrl.

Fig 3

The value of σrl was found to increase slightly in accordance with an increase in the pH. Although hemoglobin stains are essentially removed by dissolution, the mechanism by which solid stains are mechanically removed is more effective at low pH levels, and pure dissolution is more effective at high pH levels. However, the influence of the variation in σrl was slight, given that no significant difference was observed when μrl was calculated with a constant σrl at an average value of 5.2.

The dimensions of μrl are the same as those of the dirt adhesion force distribution. In addition, the dirt adhesion force distribution generally corresponds to a logarithmic plot, i.e., an ln k scale where k is a general rate constant. The plot of μrl with respect to the horizontal scale of 1/T, which is the reciprocal of the absolute temperature, yielded a nearly linear relationship (Fig 4). Therefore, it was found that μrl can be adopted as a significant thermodynamic parameter.

Fig 4. The relationship between μrl and 1/T obtained from the washing test with respect to various pH and temperature levels.

Fig 4

Verification of summation rule of pH and temperature effects

In this study, the increase in the pH and temperature resulted in an increase the cleaning efficiency under the experimental conditions. By expressing the effect of increasing the pH as ΔD(pH), the effect of increasing the temperature as ΔD(TMP), and the effect of increasing the pH and temperature as ΔD(pH + TMP), the following relationships can be obtained:

  • Additive effect: D(pH + TMP) = ΔD(pH) + ΔD(TMP)

  • Synergistic effect: D(pH + TMP) > ΔD(pH) + ΔD(TMP)

  • Offsetting effect: D(pH + TMP) < ΔD(pH) + ΔD(TMP)

Therefore, the establishment of the additive action for nine conditions under which the pH and temperature were changed was examined, as shown in Fig 5. The detergency is represented by μrl, and an increase in detergency is represented by an increase in μrl. For example, if μrl at pH 7 is expressed as μrl(pH = 7) and μrl at pH 10 is expressed as μrl(pH = 10); ΔD(pH), which is the effect of increasing the pH from 7 to 10, can be expressed as μrl(pH = 10)μrl (pH = 7). Similarly, under the assumption that μrl at a temperature of 30°C is μrl(30°C) and μrl at a temperature of 40°C is μrl(40°C); ΔD (TMP), which is the increase in cleaning power when the temperature is increased from 30°C to 40°C, can be expressed as μrl (40°C)μrl (30°C). Moreover, ΔD(pH + TMP) represents an increase in μrl when the temperature and pH are increased from 30°C to 40°C and from 7 to 10, respectively. A novel method was developed in this study to determine the additive effect by comparing the values of ΔD(pH + TMP) and ΔD(pH) + ΔD(TMP).

Fig 5. Determination of additive effect between the pH increase and temperature increase in hemoglobin cleaning: The increase in μrl due to an increase in pH is expressed as a vertical value, and the increase in μr due to an increase in temperature is expressed as a horizontal value.

Fig 5

In addition, the increase in μrl due to an increase in the pH and temperature is expressed as a diagonal arrow. Moreover, additivity is confirmed if the calculated value (vertical value + horizontal value) is significantly close to the corresponding experimental value (value of red diagonal arrow).

Significant additive effects were observed under the conditions of [pH 6, 40°C → pH 9, 50°C], [pH 9, 30°C → pH 10, 40°C], [pH 10, 30°C → pH 11, 40°C], and [pH 10, 40°C → pH 11, 50°C]. In addition, relatively significant additive effects were observed under the conditions of [pH 6, 50°C → pH 9, 60°C], [pH 9, 40°C → pH 10, 50°C], and [pH 10, 50°C → pH 11, 60°C].

Moreover, under the conditions of [pH 6, 30°C → pH 9, 40°C] and [pH 9, 50°C → pH 10, 60°C], the calculated values were significantly lower than the measured values. The cleaning efficiency is dependent on complex factors such as the state of soil adhesion and uneven cleaning conditions, which results in variations. Hence, it is difficult to obtain theoretical calculation results with adequate consistency. However, it should be noted that the addition rule was satisfied under seven of the nine conditions. Furthermore, the addition rule may be established between the pH effect and the temperature effect during the dissolving action of hemoglobin in water.

Effects of surfactant concentration and temperature

Fig 6 presents the time-dependent curve of the cleaning efficiency when the SDS concentration was 0 g/L, 1.5 g/L, 3.0 g/L, and 5.0 g/L and the temperature was 20°C, 35°C, 50°C, and 65°C, respectively. Given that the soiled cloth from the previous experiment was used in this experiment, the absolute value of the detergency (%) cannot be compared with those of the previous experiment, as shown in Fig 2. The detergency increased when the surfactant concentration increased in the order of 0 g/L → 0.15 g/L → 0.30 g/L; however, no significant changes were observed between 0.30 g/L and 0.50 g/L. Given that the critical micellar concentration (cmc) of the SDS used in this study was approximately 0.25 g/L, a significant difference in the removability of the surfactant was not observed when it exceeded the cmc.

Fig 6. Time-dependent removal curves of hemoglobin soil obtained with respect to various temperature and SDS concentration levels: Soiled fabrics were washed using a tergotometer (80 rpm).

Fig 6

Based on the probability density function method, the results shown in Table 2 were obtained. The range of temperature change was larger than that in the pH experiment (Table 1), and σrl was significantly large at 20°C. This indicates that the dissolution by water and the solubilization effect by the surfactant was significant under low temperatures. At a temperature of 35°C or higher, σrl was estimated to slightly increase in accordance with an increase in the surfactant concentration, and the surfactant was assumed to contribute to the dissolving action. In particular, in the case of washing using water that contained no SDS in the temperature range of 50–65°C, σrl indicated that a mechanism for the removal of solid particulate soil can be realized. With the exception of initially removed stains, the remainder of the stains were difficult to remove thereafter.

Table 2. Calculated values of σrl and μrl obtained from cleaning test of the hemoglobin-soiled cloth with respect to various temperature and SDS concentration levels.

20°C 35°C 50°C 65°C
SDS σrl μrl σrl μrl σrl μrl σrl μrl
0 g/L 0.88 -1.87 0.39 -1.24 0.24 -0.57 0.24 -0.47
1.5 g/L 1.16 -1.35 0.73 -0.88 0.45 -0.03 0.44 -0.09
3.0 g/L 1.80 -0.25 0.84 -0.01 0.58 +0.83 0.47 +1.09
5.0 g/L 1.38 -0.05 0.93 +0.26 0.63 +1.03 0.49 +1.12

The plot of μrl with respect to 1/T is shown in Fig 7. The cleaning tests were conducted in four steps of 20°C, 35°C, 50°C, and 65°C, and the cleaning performance at 65°C was slightly lower than that indicated by the 1/T plot. This can be attributed to the lack of increase in the washing efficiency, given that the protein denaturation temperature was approached.

Fig 7. Relationship between μrl and 1/T obtained from the washing test with respect to various SDS concentration and temperature levels.

Fig 7

Verification of addition rule for surfactant concentration effect and temperature effect

In general, an increase in the SDS concentration and temperature result in an increase in the cleaning rate. Therefore, the interaction between the effects of increasing the SDS concentration and temperature was examined using the same evaluation method as that applied to the pH effect-temperature effect (Fig 8). Hence, the calculated and the experimental values were relatively close under the conditions of 20°C → 35°C and 35°C → 50°C

Fig 8. Determination of additive rule between increase in SDS concentration and temperature in hemoglobin cleaning: The increase in μrl due to an increase in the SDS concentration is expressed as a vertical value, and that due to an increase in the temperature is expressed as a horizontal value.

Fig 8

The increase in μrl due to an increase in the SDS concentration and temperature is expressed as a diagonal arrow. Moreover, additivity is confirmed if the calculated value (vertical value + horizontal value) is close to the corresponding experimental value (value of red diagonal arrow).

Moreover, in each of the three cases where the SDS concentration was changed with respect to a temperature change from 50°C to 65°C, a significant difference was observed between the calculated and experimental values. Under the conditions of [SDS concentration: 0 g/L → 1.5 g/L, 50°C → 65°C] and [SDS concentration: 3.0 g/L → 5.0 g / L, 50°C → 65°C], the experimental value was smaller than the calculated value. The expected concentration effect was not realized, given that the protein was denatured when the temperature reached 65°C.

Conversely, under the conditions of [SDS concentration: 1.5 → 3.0 g/L, 50°C → 65°C], the experimental value was larger than the calculated value. It is a region of concentration change just toward cmc, in which case the dissolving power by SDS may have shown a temperature effect. Alternatively, the temperature range may have been within that of protein denaturation, which may have resulted in variations in the experimental values.

Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the addition rule is satisfied within the temperature range wherein protein denaturation occurs. However, within the range of 20–50°C, an additive rule was observed between the effects of the SDS concentration and temperature.

Conclusions

Based on the application of the probability density functional method to the analysis of the detergency of hemoglobin stains, additive effects were observed between the pH and temperature effects, and between the SDS concentration and temperature effects, under multiple conditions. Moreover, μrl was plotted linearly with respect to 1/T in both cases. Hence, μrl in this study can be employed as a parameter with properties similar to the rate constant. It is common knowledge that protein stains are denatured by external stimuli such as oxidation and high temperatures, which leads to removal difficulties. However, using the probability density functional method presented in this study has resulted in a link between cleaning rate and cleaning mechanism, which is rare in the field of cleaning. In particular, its potential as an effective tool for estimating compound effects was found. In the future, from the viewpoint that proteases weaken the adhesion of protein stains, it is thought that the research can be developed to quantify the effect on cleaning performance.

Supporting information

S1 Data

(DOCX)

S2 Data

(DOCX)

Data Availability

All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.

Funding Statement

The author (Masaru Oya) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (17H01953) and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (17H00814) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Decision Letter 0

Anjani Kumar Tiwari

5 Jun 2020

PONE-D-20-08400

Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method

PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Oya,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

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Anjani Kumar Tiwari, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

The paper describes about the Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method. The concept seems very interesting but

Methodology is being required in more details for the sake of reproducibility of data. On what basis the group has decided to study only selective parameters (The process of cleaning has been studied as a function of pH, temperature and surfactant concentration), it should be explicitly explained in the manuscript.

The statistical parameter should also be mentioned in appropriate manner.

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Partly

**********

2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: No

**********

5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Methodology is required for details for the sake of reproducibility of data. the concept is good and interesting but how do you select different parameters for detergency. this requires more information. the structuring of manuscript is a problem and require more changes in the draft.

Reviewer #2: In this manuscript, the authors report washing tests performed on medical samples prepared by soiling of fabric substrate with haemoglobin. There is sufficient data provided for the method of washing of samples with special reference to the calculation of two parameters αrl (Related to the cleaning mechanism) and µrl (Related to cleaning power).The process of cleaning has been studied as a function of pH, temperature and surfactant concentration and the data so obtained are explained on the basis of probability density functional method. The manuscript is well written and the results are explained properly.I recommend the publication of the manuscript in PLOSONE provided the following minor comments are addressed.

1. In the abstract: The first two lines in the beginning “Protein contamination----------theoron” should be deleted.

2 .In the abstract, the sentence starting from “ In this study------should be reworded and include washing tests performed by soiling of fabric and the continue as it is”

3.In the introduction: The lines 55 and 56 both starts both from “In this study..It should be corrected and reworded by deleting the words “in this” from line 55.

4. Materials and methods: Authors should mention the company and make of the thermostat/ water bath used for temperature control after pH in this section.

5.In Fig4,5: The authors should mention the values of regression coefficients(R2) either in the linear plots given in Fig 4 and Fig 5 or within the text at appropriate places.

Reviewer #3: The manuscript entitled "Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method " by

Miyako Oya and others seems very interesting but i have few observations which should be clarified for the researchers who wants to work in this direction

1- The author does not describe the nature of the cloth which is used and explained as

Approximately 250 g of cotton cloth was immersed in 2 L of 0.5% aqueous sodium carbonate

75 solution at 60–70 °C. The cloth was then rinsed using distilled water, dehydrated, air-dried, and cut it

into sections with dimensions of 5 × 5 cm2 76 .

2- Author should also explain that why specific pH and temperature variation were taken

why not pH 9 and temp 20 or 25°C

The time-dependent curves of the detergency obtained by varying the pH in steps of 6, 9, 10, and

11 at cleaning temperatures of 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C, and 60 °C

**********

6. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Attachment

Submitted filename: PLOSONE report.docx

PLoS One. 2020 Aug 7;15(8):e0237255. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237255.r002

Author response to Decision Letter 0


26 Jun 2020

<To Editor>

Thank you for your valuable suggestions. It was corrected according to the instructions.

1) The following sentence was added to the introduction to explain the reason for determining the cleaning conditions.

(Revised Manuscript L66-70)

Since an alkaline solution is often used as a detergent for protein stains, it can be expected that the washing rate will change significantly depending on pH. Further, since SDS has a hemolytic action, it is expected that the concentration of SDS greatly contributes to the removability of hemoglobin stains. Moreover, since both can be regarded as a kind of chemical reaction, it can be predicted that they are affected by temperature.

2) The description of the statistical parameters was added as follows.

(Revised Manuscript L59-60)

the mean µrl and standard deviation σrl of the removal load distribution, assuming that the cleaning power follows a normal distribution.

<To Reviewer #1>

Thank you for your valuable suggestions about the selection of parameters. The manuscript was corrected as follows.

(Revised Manuscript L66-70)

Since an alkaline solution is often used as a detergent for protein stains, it can be expected that the washing rate will change significantly depending on pH. Further, since SDS has a hemolytic action, it is expected that the concentration of SDS greatly contributes to the removability of hemoglobin stains. Moreover, since both can be regarded as a kind of chemical reaction, it can be predicted that they are affected by temperature.

The structure of the manuscript has already been corrected by Editage, but if you point out more specific problems, I would like to ask Editage to respond again.

<To Reviewer #2>

We would like to thank you for your careful review and for your valuable suggestions.

1. In the abstract: The first two lines in the beginning “Protein contamination----------theoron” should be deleted.

The manuscript has been revised as instructed.

2 .In the abstract, the sentence starting from “ In this study------should be reworded and include washing tests performed by soiling of fabric and the continue as it is”

The manuscript has been revised as follows.

(Revised Manuscript L3-4)

In this study, washing tests were performed using samples prepared by contaminating fabrics with hemoglobin, and a kinetic analysis

3.In the introduction: The lines 55 and 56 both starts both from “In this study..It should be corrected and reworded by deleting the words “in this” from line 55.

The manuscript has been revised as instructed.

4. Materials and methods: Authors should mention the company and make of the thermostat/ water bath used for temperature control after pH in this section.

The following explanationwas added in L80-81

(temperature was controlled in the washing machine)

5.In Fig4,5: The authors should mention the values of regression coefficients(R2) either in the linear plots given in Fig 4 and Fig 5 or within the text at appropriate places.

The regression coefficients were added in Fig.4 and Fig. 7.

<To Reviewer #3>

Thank you for your valuable suggestions. The following modifications were made according to your instructions.

1) An explanation about the specifications of the fabric was added as follows.

(Revised Manuscript L78)

(weave density: 22.5/10 mm warp, 24.0/10mm weft, weight: 15.2 mg/cm2)

2) The following explanation was added about the reason why the test was performed at a temperature of 30°C or higher.

(Revised Manuscript L166-169)

Since it was expected that the cleaning efficiency would be low when the pH was low at low temperature and the cleaning effect due to the temperature and pH increase would be difficult to appear, the minimum temperature was set to 30 °C.

Attachment

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

Decision Letter 1

Anjani Kumar Tiwari

23 Jul 2020

Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method

PONE-D-20-08400R1

Dear Dr. Oya,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

An invoice for payment will follow shortly after the formal acceptance. To ensure an efficient process, please log into Editorial Manager at http://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/, click the 'Update My Information' link at the top of the page, and double check that your user information is up-to-date. If you have any billing related questions, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Anjani Kumar Tiwari, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Dear Dr Masaru Oya,

It is a pleasure to accept your manuscript entitled "Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method" in its current form for publication in PLOS ONE. The comments of the reviewer(s) who reviewed your manuscript are included at the foot of this letter.

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #3: All comments have been addressed

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: the revised manuscript has addressed all the necessary clarifications and I expressed my satisfaction with the current status of the revised manuscript.

Reviewer #3: The authors of manuscript responed reviewers query in well manner and now it can be considered for publication.

**********

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #3: No

Acceptance letter

Anjani Kumar Tiwari

29 Jul 2020

PONE-D-20-08400R1

Kinetic analysis of hemoglobin detergency by Probability Density Functional Method

Dear Dr. Oya:

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org.

If we can help with anything else, please email us at plosone@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access.

Kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Anjani Kumar Tiwari

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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    Submitted filename: PLOSONE report.docx

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    Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

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    All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.


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